Tip Work-Life Balance in the Right Direction

My son climbed on the teeter-totter at the playground the other day and begged me to join him. Now, I’m no physicist, but I did make several convincing yet unproductive arguments as to why it wouldn’t work. Finally I got on the apparatus and demonstrated our dilemma. A teeter-totter requires balance, and my adult body outweighed his.

It’s too bad that in our adult lives we can’t have the same visualization for work-life balance.

Perhaps if we could see the tremendous weight that work has on our lives we might better understand the steps we must take to counteract the force.

Of all elements of time management success, work-life balance ranks among the top. It’s what we aspire for, what we believe to be the mark of a peaceful, organized existence. However, several factors influence the direction work-life balance tips, including:

– Economic pressure: “I must work more or I’ll lose my job.”– Old-school thinking: “the only way to get ahead is by sacrificing free time.”– Complicated lifestyles: “my life is too crazy, with too many priorities.”

The reality is, balance equals effectiveness. People living out of balance will eventually slow down and burn out. Neglected in their lives are financial matters, family time, and personal health concerns. The fact that most individuals keep an active planning system for work but not for their lives outside work is a strong indicator of how they weigh home priorities.

So, how do you tip the teeter-totter down? Invest yourself into organizing your renewal. Place equal emphasis on your life outside of work as you do your work. Vow to yourself that family time, vacation, and relaxation are reasonable aspects of a life in balance, and then go forward and plan your life accordingly. Be in balance.

How would you describe your current work-life balance? Do you have ways to keep life outside of work as a priority? Please comment.